Feed tube support



July 15, 1941.

A. F. JELINEK ET AL FEED TUBE SUPPORT Filed Jul -2o, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VfNTOBS.

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July 15, 1941. A. F. JELINEK ETAL FEED TUBE SUPPORT Filed July 20, 1-940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 0/ m, N R

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- FEED TUBE SUPPORT Filed July 20, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 N I i I I I I I I i INVENTORS. 14L FRED E JEL/NEK & BY WALTER E. 6/?083 ORNE ."S

Patented July 15, 1941 arisen;

reap TUBE surro nr Alfred F. Jelinek and Walter E. Gross, Cleveland, Ohio, assignorsto The Cleveland Automatic Machine Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 20, 1940, SerialNo. 346,597

Claims.

This invention-relates broadly to automatic multi-spindle screw'machines and more specifically toimprovements in feed tube supporting mechanisms therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro- Vide afeed'tube support which is adapted 'for' ready assembly within the machine and constructed'to afiordaccessibility thereto in replacing the stock feed fingers. v Another object of the invention is to provide a--feed tube supporting ring which isorganized to rotate within the spindle housing contemporaneous the index movement of the spindle in order to align the feed tubes with the mechanism for advancing the bar stock'towards the collets. Another object of the invention is to provide a fe'ed tube sleeve adapted for engagement with a mechanism to effect the rapid forward trans lation of the stock feed tube and a decelerated return movement thereof. I

Another object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of stock feed tubes adapted tobe engaged in sequence by a spring actuatedarm for advancing the stock feed-tube and'bar stock therein'towards the'spindlecollet.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to theforegoing and the mannerin which all the various objects are realized willappear in the following description, which considered in connection with the'accompanying drawings, sets forththe' preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to' the drawings wherein the prethere is a motor 14 having a sprocket upon'the outer end of its armature shaft which is-coupled. withgearing, not shown, for driving thespindles and actuating mechanisms within the housings" I2 and l3. I Y

The stock feed tube assembly issupported by a. plurality of rollers I5 (Figs. 2 and3) mounted in brackets l6 secured upon webs formed on the walls of the spindle housing l3. The inner end of thespindle bearing cage lTis provided witha spider l8 rigidly aflixed thereto and formed with a guide rod IS' which is piloted in the stock feed tube supportingring 28 carried by the rollers l5.

The'stock-feed tubes 2| have one of 'the ends thereof mounted in collet tubes 22 wl1i1e the opposite ends are supported in-sle'eves 30', which are suitably keyed for longitudinal movement within the ring The end portions ofthe stock feed tubes are-slotted in the customary manner ferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of an automatic multi-spin'dle'screw machine having a section of the spindle housing casing removed therea from and showing the stock feed tube supporting ring'and'its appurtenances in section;

Fig.2 is an elevation of'the fragmentary portion of thema'chine as viewed housing end thereof; I

Fig; 3' 15am enlarged sectional view of the "stock feedtube assembly; the section being taken on a plane indicated byline 3-3 of Fig. 2

Fig: 4" is a oe-gamma sectional view orone from the spindle oftliestock feed tubes and the supporting members associated therewith; and

Figs-5 1s a sectional-view through the mechanism fdi' effectihg the-translation of the stock feed tube towards a collet tube, the section being taken on a plane indicated by line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, the multi-spindle screw machine illustrated herein embodies generally a base H, a tool slide housing !2 and a spindle housing [3. Upon the top of the housing i2 'to form resilient fingers 23 for frictional engagementwith the bar stock extended therethrough.

The" periphery of the outer end'of the stock feedtuloes is reinforced with a ferrule 25 having aconical head 25 -on the end'thereof, which is seatedwithin a' tapered bore'iormed in the en'- larged end portion of a sleeve 26" telescopically engagedwith the ferrule 2%. The periphery of the -'enlarged end portion of the sleeve 26 is threaded forthe reception'of a nut 2'1 formed with an inturned flange for engagement with the of the conical head25 to facilitate the securement' of the sleeve in'fixed relation With the ferrule; The end of the ferrule is threadedto receive a nut 28 for locking the nut- 21 in-adjusted position upon the sleeve;

portions of the sleeve friction bearings 29uponthe outerrace of-which there is mounted a sleeve shouldered end ment thereof within the ring 23. The inner and outer" races of 'the'bearingsZS are locked-respecsleeve 25 and be reciprocatedpair of spaced flanges defining a groove orguideway 32 which is adapt'ed to receive a segmental arm'-'3,3= organized tojefiect the retraction of the stock resume-e in timed relation with the cenet actuating mechanism.

The segmental arm 33 is affixed upon a slide 34 which is guided on a rod 35 supported by a transverse wall in the housing l3 and a bracket 38 mounted upon a web within the end portionof the spindle housing. The slide is formed with The end 2t are provided with antitilfhaving a feather 'key 3| therein to facilitate the reciprocati-ve movea depending arm 31 having a roller 38 in the end thereof, which is engageable with a rotatable cam 39 mounted in the spindle housing. The slide 34 is further provided with a laterally extended arm 40 (Figs. 2 and which is bored to receive a tube 4| welded or otherwise afiixed therein. The inner end of the tube is closed by a bushing 42 constituting a seat for a spring 43 mounted within the tube 4|. The spring is guided by a rod 44 which is supported in a bracket 45 mounted on a web within the spindle housing l3. The adjustable collar 46 mounted on the guide rod 44 retains the spring 43 in compression with the bushing 42 for normally urging the slide and stock feed tube inwardly.

As will be seen'in Figs. 2 and 5, the slide 34 is constructed with a second laterally extended arm 48 having a yoke 49 in the end thereof engaged with a stationary rod 50 to restrain the sleeve from rotative movement about the rod 35. The sleeves are held in aligned relation during the index period of the machine by a split ring 5| supported within the spindle housing and adapted for engagement with the grooved portions of the sleeves as they are successively discharged from the segmental arm 33.

In operation as the spindle bearing cage and in turn the supporting ring 20 is indexed to the station in which the stock feed operation occurs, the grooved portions of the sleeves 30 are brought in order into engagement with the segmental arm 33, the cam 39 at this instant in the operative cycle being timed so that the roller 38 moves beyond the point A on the cam plate, thereby allowing the spring 43 to impart a rapid forward movement to the slide 34 and stock feed tube 2| for advancing the stock gripped by the spring fingers through the collet. A stop 52 secured to the rod 35 so limits the movement of the stock feed tube and slide as to bring the roller 38 into engagement with the cam plate at the point B.

As the roller ascends the inclined surface of the cam the feed tube fingers will slide over the bar stock until the roller reaches the dwell C formed on the cam plate, at which time the segmental arm is in aligned relation with the track formed by the split ring 5| so that the grooved portion of the sleeve 30 may be transferred thereto and the sleeve in the following indexed position may be engaged by the segment 33,

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departingfrom the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

We claim:

1, A screw machine embodying a spindle housing, an indexable spindle cage therein, a plurality of rotatable spindles in said cage, a ring mounted in said housing rotatively connected with said cage, a plurality of sleeves having grooves in the ends thereof slidably mounted in said ring, stock feed tubes secured in said sleeves and slidable in said spindles, a rod mounted in said spindle housing and means on said rod for successively engaging the grooves in said sleeves to transmit movement to the stock feed tubes therein.

2. A screw machine embodying a spindle housing, an indexable spindle cage therein, rotatable spindles in said cage, a spider aflixed to said spindle cage, a shaft connected thereto, a ring mounted on said shaft, rollers mounted in said spindle housing supporting said ring, sleeves having grooves therein slidably mounted in said ring, stock feed tubes aflixed in said sleeves and slidable in said spindles, a rotatable cam in said spindle housing, a rod secured in the spindle housing, a slide mounted thereon, a segmental arm on said slide, a second arm depending from said slide and engaging said cam, said segmental arm be-- ing coordinated for sequential operation with grooves in the respective sleeves to effect the movement of the stock feed tubes contemporaneous the rotation of the cam.

3. A screw machine embodying a housing having a plurality of rotatable spindles therein, an indexable supporting member therefor, a roller supported ring mounted in said housing and affixed to said member, sleeves having grooves formed therein slidably mounted in said ring, stock feed tubes secured in said sleeves and slidable within said spindles, a rod supported in said spindle housing, a slide thereon, and means on said slide engaging said grooves in said sleeves upon the indexing of the spindle supporting member and means coordinated with said slide to advance the stock feed tubes subsequent the indexing operation.

4. A screw machine embodying a housing having a rotatably indexable spindle cage therein, a plurality of spindles in said cage, a ring mounted in said housing rotatively connected with said spindle cage, sleeves slidably mounted in said ring and having grooves formed in the ends thereof, stock feed tubes secured in said sleeves and slidable in said spindles, a rod supported in said housing, a slide thereon, a cam in said housing, a segmental arm extending from said slide for successively engaging the grooves in said sleeves upon the indexed movement of the spindle cage,

a compression spring associated with said slide to effect the forward movement of the sleeves subsequent the indexed movement of the spindle cage, and means on said slide coacting with said cam to move said sleeves to their initial positions.

5. A multi-spindle screw machine embodying a housing having a plurality of rotatable spindles therein, an indexable spindle supporting cage, a spider afiixed to said spindle cage, a shaft extending therefrom, a ring secured to said shaft, rollers mounted in said housing supporting said ring, sleeves having grooves therein slidably mounted in said ring, stock feed tubes afiixed in said sleeves and slidably mounted in the spindles, a rotating cam in said housing, a rod in said housing, a slide thereon, a split ring in said housing, constituting a track engaged with the grooves in the sleeves, a segmental arm on said slide completing the annulus of said split ring within a portion of the indexed cycle of the machine, said cam and slide advancing one of the sleeves out of the path of the annular track. I

ALFRED F. JELINEK.

WALTER E. GROSS. 

